Chrysanthemum plant named ‘LANO PURPLE’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘LANO PURPLE’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; and decorative-type inflorescences with purple-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum X morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LANO PURPLE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘LANO PURPLE’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniformly mounding and freely flowering Chrysanthemum plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in October, 2012 in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Five Alarm Red’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Pomax Purple’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in October, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative terminal cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2014. Asexual reproduction by vegetative terminal cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘LANO PURPLE’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘LANO PURPLE’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant         habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with purple-colored ray         florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Five Alarm Red’. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Five Alarm Red’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniform than plants         of ‘Five Alarm Red’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more flexible than plants         of ‘Five Alarm Red’.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are smaller         than inflorescences of plants of ‘Five Alarm Red’.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are purple in         color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Five Alarm Red’ are dark         red in color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent, ‘Pomax Purple’. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Pomax Purple’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are not as vigorous as plants         of ‘Pomax Purple’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about three weeks         earlier than plants of ‘Pomax Purple’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Zaza Purple’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/731,853. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Zaza Purple’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are not as flexible as plants         of ‘Zaza Purple’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly and         later than plants of ‘Zaza Purple’.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are         slightly smaller than inflorescences of plants of ‘Zaza Purple’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘LANO PURPLE’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the summer and autumn and under cultural practices generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 18° C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘LANO PURPLE’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Five             Alarm Red’, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Pomax             Purple’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded             appearance to the plant; plants roughly spherical; very             freely branching habit, about 25 primary lateral branches             develop, each primary lateral branch with multiple secondary             branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and full plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit; plants flexible, not brittle.         -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong,             flexible. Texture: Pubescent, fine; longitudinally ridged.             Color: Close to 136A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 3.5 cm             to 6 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 4 cm. Apex: Rounded to             cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and             serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to             parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly             pubescent. Venation: Palmately reticulate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 136A; venation, close to 148C. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 147B to 147C. Petioles: Length: About 1 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly pubescent; rough. Color, upper surface: Close to             146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D. Stipules: Length:             About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Slightly pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 137A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;             inflorescences borne on terminals above foliar plane; disc             and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-September in Belgium; flowering response time,             about 35 days.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about 42 days in an outdoor nursery;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 30 inflorescences develop             per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 136A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 2 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 5 mm; inconspicuous.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 2.5 mm to 3 mm.         -   Receptacle color.—Close to 144B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 4 mm.             Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 150 arranged in about ten whorls.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 83A. When             opening, lower surface: Close to N81B. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 77A; color becoming closer to 77B with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 77B;             color becoming closer to N80D with development.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to             1 mm. Shape: Tubular; apices acute. Number of disc florets             per inflorescence: About 30 massed at the center of the             inflorescence. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature:             Close to 145A. Color, mature: Close to 12A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25             arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.             Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 5 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.             Color: Close to 136A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Not observed.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date seed and fruit production have not             been observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘LANO PURPLE’ as illustrated and described. 